Summertime brings out so many delicious vegetables, which makes meal planning with them a real joy. I have compiled a week’s work of summer meals and included a shopping list at the end. Enjoy!

Monday

Colorful Kabobs; Orzo Salad; Sliced Watermelon

Orzo Salad

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 ½ cups orzo
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 shallots, peeled and minced
• ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
• ½ cup vinaigrette salad dressing
• Kosher salt

In a large saucepan, bring the broth to a boil, add orzo and cook according to directions on the package. Drain and set aside to cool completely. In a large bowl, combine cooled orzo, beans, tomatoes, shallots, basil and vinaigrette. Toss salad and season with salt to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Tuesday

Slow-Cooker Steak; Tarragon Potato Salad

Slow-cooker Steak

• 2 lbs boneless steak (inexpensive cuts of steak work very well)
• 2 tbsp brown mustard
• 2 tbsp steak sauce
• ½ cup water

Put steak in the bottom of slower cooker. Combine mustard and steak sauce and then pour over steak. Add water to slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

Tarragon Potato Salad

• 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 –inch chunks
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 shallot, peeled and minced
• 1 tbsp dried tarragon
• Kosher salt
• ¼ cup mayonnaise

Boil potatoes in a large pot of salted water for 20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl. Combine vinegar, shallot and tarragon in a small bowl and pour over warm potatoes. Gently stir potatoes and season with salt to taste. Let potato mixture cool and then gently stir in mayonnaise.

Wednesday

Zucchini-Garlic Pasta; Mixed Berry Salad

Mixed Berry Salad

• 1 lb mixed berries of your choosing

Wash berries and cut into bite-sized pieces. Mix berries and serve.

Thursday

Lemon and Herb Chicken Breasts; Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad

Lemon and Herb Chicken Breasts

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried thyme

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and thyme in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Put chicken breasts into a large Ziploc bag and pour marinade over chicken. Refrigerate for 6-24 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove chicken breasts from marinate. Spread a large piece of foil on your counter and put chicken in the middle in a single layer. Bring the edges of the foil together and tightly seal them. Put foil package on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad

• 2 cups cooked corn kernels
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 shallot, peeled and minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp grated lime zest
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Handful of cilantro, chopped

Combine the corn, avocado, tomatoes and shallot in a large bowl. Whisk the rest of the ingredients together in a small bowl and then gently stir into the corn mixture.

Friday

Spinach and Mozzarella Pizza; Fruit Salad

Spinach and Mozzarella Pizza

• Your favorite pizza dough
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 oz fresh mozzarella, diced or shredded
• Handful of spinach, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll pizza dough into a circle and bake for 6 minutes. Remove crust from oven, flip over and drizzle olive oil over the top. Sprinkle mozzarella over the crust and top with chopped spinach. Return pizza to oven and cook for 8 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is brown.

Saturday

Tacos; Leftover Fruit Salad

Tacos

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 small can, diced green chilies
• Taco shells or tortillas
• 1 head of lettuce, chopped
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• Shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef. Mix seasoning into beef as it is cooking. Drain beef. Mix sour cream and green chilies together. Combine ingredients in taco shells or tortillas to your liking or let your family create their own dinner masterpiece.

Sunday

Simple Blackened Salmon; Almond Green Beans

Almond Green Beans

• 1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut in half
• 1 tbsp butter
• Kosher salt
• ¼ cup slivered almonds
• Dash of ground nutmeg

In a large sauce-pan, bring 3 inches of water to a boil and add green beans. Cook for 5 minutes and then drain beans. Return pot to the stove and turn heat to medium. Add butter; when the butter is melted, add green beans and toss. Season with salt to taste, add almonds and nutmeg and stir. Serve.

Shopping List

Produce

• White onion
• Red bell pepper
• Green bell pepper
• Yellow bell pepper
• 4 zucchini
• 1 head lettuce
• 1 lb green beans
• 2 pints grape tomatoes
• 4 shallots
• 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
• 2 heads garlic
• 4 tomatoes
• ½ watermelon
• 1 lb mixed berries of your choosing
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 avocado
• 1 lime
• ½ pineapple
• 1 mango
• 4 kiwis
• ½ lb grapes
• ½ small cantaloupe
• ½ cup fresh basil
• Cilantro
• Handful of spinach

Canned/Packaged

• Chicken broth
• 1 ½ cups orzo
• 1 lb angel hair pasta
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans
• Vinaigrette salad dressing
• Kosher salt
• Brown mustard
• Steak sauce
• White wine vinegar
• Dried tarragon
• Dried oregano
• Dried thyme
• Ground nutmeg
• Mayonnaise
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Sugar
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 small can diced chilies
• Taco shells or tortillas
• Slivered almonds

Meat

• 2 ribeye steaks
• 2 lbs boneless steak (inexpensive cuts of steak work very well)
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 lb ground beef

Frozen

• Corn kernels

Dairy Case

• Parmesan cheese, block or grated
• Refrigerated pizza dough
• Fresh mozzarella
• Sour cream
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Butter